European Flax-Linen environmental footprint: additional data on processed short fibres now included in ecoinvent

This release draws on primary data collected by the Alliance and complements the data already available for Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certified flax fibres.

This latest milestone is part of the environmental roadmap pursued by the Alliance over several years, with the aim of meeting the needs of manufacturers and brands, supporting their impact-reduction strategies and responding to evolving regulatory requirements. This roadmap is based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data that reflect the specific characteristics of certified European Flax and are accessible to the entire value chain.

A long-standing partnership between the Alliance and the leading ecoinvent database

Since version 3.10, published in November 2023, the database has therefore included datasets covering Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ fibres: long line flax fibre and short tow flax fibre from scutching, together with the associated co-products. The data are provided in the form of life cycle inventories (elementary flows) and impact assessment results (calculated using all available methodologies), alongside detailed information on the materials and processes covered, including system boundaries, geographical scope, sources and external review.

2026: the reprocessing of European Flax-Linen short fibres now documented

With the release of version 3.13 on 4 November 2026, ecoinvent has added a new dataset specifically covering the reprocessing of short fibres.

Reprocessing is a process specific to flax, carried out after scutching. It removes shive residues and very short fibres (Duvex fibres or tow), making it an essential step before any further processing.
Once reprocessed, short fibres can be used in textile processes: either carding and combing followed by dry or semi-wet spinning, or cottonisation followed by spinning on cotton ring or open-end systems. They can also be used to manufacture nonwovens, either through needle-punching for composites, for example those intended for automotive applications, or through hydroentanglement.

For further information on European Flax processing routes and semi-finished products, see the European Flax processing map.

This dataset is based on extensive data collection carried out by the Alliance across all European short-fibre reprocessors, with the aim of calculating, on the basis of a European average, all inputs, emissions, products and co-products associated with the reprocessing stage.

This work has resulted in two datasets:

• Reprocessed short fibre dataset
• Duvex fibres dataset

The documentation is freely available once you have created an account; the inventory and impact results, however, are accessible subject to the terms of the ecoinvent licences.

A new milestone in the environmental journey of European Flax-Linen

Available in English: European Flax-Linen Environmental Footprint Guide. French translation forthcoming.

* Masters of FLAX FIBRE™: 1,766 certified companies in 39 countries as at 30 September 2026.